"You are hurt!" I yelled as I walked into the room, clearly ignoring Jiju's presence. I was highly pissed to consider my tone.

I pass Jiju the coffee mug as I strolled towards Faizal. He had freshen-up, wearing an oversized shirt. Maybe he had borrowed it from Jiju. He was sitting on the bed, his back leaning on the headboard as from waist till his knee was covered with blanket.

"Who me?" He made a confused face while pain was visible on his face. I glared at him as I directed my orbs towards Jiju.

"Had he treated those wounds?" I inquired, as I was aware asking it to Faizal was waste of time. He was adamant to prove to me that he had no injuries.

"I had suggested him to..." I interrupted him, completing on his behalf.

"But he denied," my orbs were shooting daggers at Faizal. "He loves to act inhuman," I groaned. "Show me!" I glared at him.

"I won't!" He argued, his orbs averting to Jiju.

"Faizal, don't test my patience." I gritted my teeth in annoyance. "I didn't had a proper sleep last night and I had to face a drama early in the morning," I rolled my orbs at the thought of it.

"That's why! Don't trouble yourself and go to bed, I can deal with myself." He passed a reassuring smile but I wasn't going to be convinced. I could glimpse at his uneven breathing, he was attempting hard to control the pain.

"Faiz, are you showing me or should I do it myself?" There was warning underlying in my words.

He sighed as he turned in a manner that he was facing the bed, I heard him groan as he laid on the bed. Jiju walked towards the bed with his first-aid kit. Due to his work, he was skilled in treating wounds when emergency arrived. I gasped as Jiju threw the blanket off his body. The lemon-yellow shirt was soaked in blood.

"The wound is turning worse than I expected," Jiju shook his head in disapproval as he attempted to remove the shirt off his body. "Why were you denying of it being treated?"

Faizal kept quiet, moving his muscles to withdrew the shirt was making him to hiss in pain. My hands were shivering as I sat on the edge of the bed beside him. His orbs were closed, lips pressed between his teeth, as if he was attempting hard to hold back those painful groan, desiring to come out of his throat.

I grabbed his palm under mine, as if assuring him, I was beside him. "It's going to be fine..." I whispered as I opted not to glance at those wounds. I heard Jiju's murmur about the infection and his grumbles that why Faizal opted to ignore it.

"Stop shivering..." I heard his strong masculine voice as his grip on my hands tighten. His beautiful-black orbs were opened and was staring at me with concern. "Stop getting anxious," he sighed as he attempted to move but was held back due to the wounds on his back.

His entire back had turned into red, the rusty smell of blood filling my senses. I hated that smell! It could make me faint! Blood scared me yet I opted to stay because I couldn't leave his side. "Should we call a doctor?"

"I don't think any doctor will be available," Jiju sighed in disappointed. "The wounds aren't severe but alot of blood is wasted, so..." He shook his head, "but yet it can be treated without the need of professional." Jiju assured, I glanced at Faizal to find his orbs locked on me.

"Stop getting scared..." He was struggling under my grip so I lossen the grip on his hand. His hand reached towards my cheek as he brushed off the emerging tears. "I am fine," his voice was soft, delicate. "If you want you can..." He blinked his orbs in assurance. He eyed at the door but I shook my head, I wasn't leaving his side, I was the reason behind his condition and I wanted to be beside him to assure my heart that he was fine.

"I am not..." I mumbled as his hand descended from my cheek.

•••

I stayed behind for him. I couldn't walk out, I needed to be beside him to assure my wild-beating heart.

"You shouldn't allow yourself to get attach to him," Jiju mumbled after minutes of silence. "He is soon going to return to his world," he paused as I glanced at Faizal sleeping state. "I don't want to sound rude yet that's the truth. You people are world apart! There isn't a future, together... Nivi." He paused for a second, "he is amazing human. He is like you and I understand why you started liking him yet friendship is different than founding a relationship. In friendship caste doesn't matter but in relationship it does!" He sighed, "our family won't be able to accept his family."

I kept quiet, I had nothing to respond with! I always knew it! Yet my heart was stubborn not to listen. "I really like him... Jiju..." I stared at the peaceful face, I was attached to him, the harm was cause and there was no going back!

"I am aware that we have complicated relationship. I want to be there for him. I can't explain to you what I feel for him." I was playing with his finger. I wasn't sure why was I conveying it to Jiju but I always had the view that Jiju understood me better than any of my family. Even though he didn't share much likeness to intercaste love story.

"Something, I never felt before! Even the movies and shows I had watched, can't describe it. I had never dreamt a future with him or ever prayed to end us up together," I paused as if choosing my words correctly. "I never imagined that he would reciprocate my feelings" I laughed at the thought of it, "there are more wonderful and charming ladies out there, much of his choice. Yet I always wanted to be beside him. I always wished for his happiness, what I feel for him isn't filled with desire, I just want to see him happy whether I am there or not."

"You have fallen for him, Nivi." Jiju sighed as if he didn't adore the thought of it. "And you know about the consequences..."

"Heart break?" I shook my head as I wiped the emerging tears, "not something I can't handle, because I didn't had any expectation."

•••

"You're allowing that Muslim to stay here?" Chechi was yelling her throat out. She wasn't allowing us to eat a dinner in peace.

"He needs rest," dad reasoned out. "It will be cruel if we ask him to leave in such a condition."

"What about the cruel things his people had constantly done to us? From the time the independence till now, they never tolerated our happiness. They had killed so many innocent people and you want to shelter such a criminal."

"He hadn't killed a single human," I mumbled while Shruti grabbed my wrist under the table and eyed me to shut up.

"You need to stop defending him," Chechi groaned, her infuriating orbs was fixed on me.

"I don't think we have the right to punish someone else for the crime that he had never committed." Jiju interrupted, "I had requested dad to allow Faizal to stay behind, that is least I could do for him for saving my life."

"He hadn't saved your life! Those are his people, they wouldn't have harmed him."

"They did harm him, Chechi." I was taken aback seeing Jiju standing up for Faizal. "There are severe cuts around his body. He risked his life and urged me to take you both out of the locality by the time I arrived back they were kicking him, humiliating him, claiming him as disgrace to their religion. He stood there, fought with them to save your life, is it that difficult to understand?" Jiju was staring at Chechi with disbelief written over his face.

"Is your hate towards him greater than the kindness your heart carries?" He sighed. "What's the different between the rebels out there and you?" He shook his head, "you both have the same amount of hate for each other." He mumbled as he walked out of the dining table, leaving his half finished plate behind.

Silence prevailed around us, my parents kept glancing at Chechi who opted to keep quiet. The minute I was done with my dinner, I made my way out of the house. Jiju was scrolling around, his orbs locked on the vacant street.

Our house wasn't located in the market area so those street never had much vehicle passing by yet it was totally deserted, people were scared to get out of their respective houses. The revolt hadn't stopped yet officers had control over the city but the curfew was ordered for almost a week for precaution.

"Thank you..." I mumbled standing behind him. He sighed but opted not to turn or face me, his orbs were locked on the vacant road, lost in some displeasing thoughts.

"I wasn't helping you or supporting your friend," he paused for a second. "I was being honest," he mumbled. "My work had allowed me to witness many such violence, I had seen humans being tortured, killed. I had come to hate Muslim," he sighed as he turned to face me. "I had the same views about them until I met Faizal or should I say, until last night." He shook his head.

"He chose to be human and in a way made me realise about my mistakes, he made me guilty of my existence." I could glimpse at the shame in those orbs. "Earlier I used to see them as opponent, I am ashamed to confess that there was several moments during this revolts that I had the opportunity to save some of them, those Muslim but I didn't because I believed they deserved it." His orbs soften, I had always seen him as the tough one, it was difficult to see him so vulnerable, confessing that he isn't perfect much like us.

"Faizal showed me last night that he is much better human than I could ever be. He just didn't helped me to save mom and Chechi but fought with those rebels to not burn the house in the neighborhood. He kept humanity above his caste," he sighed as he stared straight into my orbs, "I am glad to say... That you have chose a better human than your parents could have chose for you."

"Jiju..." I wasn't able to hold my tears back as I wrapped my arms around his shoulder. "Thank you..." I whispered in his ears.

•••

"You were told to lay down," I scolded the minute I entered into the room.

Faizal was leaning on the headboard, my orbs narrowed seeing him hissing in pain. "What peace do you get by offering pain to yourself?" I groaned as I stared at his companion with a disbelief. "I hadn't expected this from you, Jiju." I shook my head as I placed the tray on the nearest lamp table as I gestured Faizal to lay down.

"I can't eat breakfast laying down," Faizal argued, I groaned at his smartness.

"He has the point," Jiju chuckled while I glared at both of them.

"Why don't you both understand?" I stamped my feet in defeat. "If you act careless, it will take more time to heal."

"You need to calm down..." Faizal's fingers touched my wrist but he didn't extended to grab it. His black orbs were staring at me in pure adoration.

"I will go and have my breakfast," Jiju mumbled excusing himself from the room.

I walked towards the tray as I placed it on the bed. "Eat," I pointed at the plate before me.

A small-hint of smile reached his face as he glanced at his breakfast. "You prepared it," that wasn't a question but rather a statement. That teasing smile made me to glare at him. "Not bad!" He mumbled grabbing the bread in his hand.

I had seen a new video on YouTube and attempted to try it. Office was closed for few days so I was enjoying trying new dishes. But my new found hobby was making my family members suspicious about my intention. That teasing smile Shruti offered me each time, I woke up early to prepare something for Faizal was infuriating. It was just my way of thanking him! Why couldn't they understand?

"You're aware right," he took a bite of the bread. "You don't have to force yourself to do things that you don't like." He was indirectly pointing about my cooking. He knew, I wasn't found of cooking, I did it if need arrived.

"I like doing it," I confessed lowering my head in embarrassment. I wasn't lying, I liked it! I adored that smile on his face each time I brought the breakfast, and I loved the way he savoured each bite of it, never complaining of a single thing. Had I started liking cooking or had I started liking it because I was cooking for him?

His black orbs were staring into mine for a hint of dishonesty but not finding any, he passed me a smile. "And I love eating it," he chuckled. "All those specially invented dishes..." He shook his head, "I am going to miss it in future."